On the Cusp of the Cup
by Lillyana
Summary: Bella Swan is a no-nonsense reporter for ESPN on her way to South Africa to cover the men of the US team and their progression through the game.   Will they win the cup? Will she allow herself to fall for one of their players? Or is she all business?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I'm sad the World Cup is over! I watched or listened to almost every game. While I work through the fact that I can't get a coherent chapter 7 of Vanished done, I've been writing one-shots. Then yesterday I thought how about I put Emmett, Jasper and Edward on the US team with Coach Carlisle and let them play soccer. It seemed like an ok idea at the time. But there's just too much in my brain to make it a one-shot. It looks like it will run about 7 chapters lunch long. If you all are interested, if it's crap I'll totally stop!

CH 1 – The Press Junket

I stepped into the circus that was a press junket. I'd been to countless ones of these. I used to be stopped at the door. Since I'm a woman and the athletes' were male, I must be a rabid fangirl. The first time I flashed my ESPN press badge I earned looks of shock but as time progressed so did the sports world. Other women were now becoming anchors on sports programs and writers for athletic magazines and newspapers.

This was my first World Cup though. And I was really excited, of all sports, soccer was my favorite. As a clumsy child, I overcame my balance problems by playing soccer. Since starting work at ESPN, all I wanted to do was cover the World Cup, but I started in 2007 and spent the last three years paying my dues covering other things. I'd just finished successfully covering the NBA Finals. It was a challenge covering a sport I didn't know as much about, but my boss wanted to see how I'd perform under pressure. He promised if I delivered well for the NBA games I'd get to go to South Africa and cover the entire Cup from the group stage to the finals. My first stop on the World Cup press tour was the US team press conference. There was a lot of buzz surrounding these men. It was the first time anyone thought the US had a chance at getting near the finals. Because let's be honest, the US is not known for winning these things.

But in 2008 Major League Soccer saw the emergence of three up and coming players. With the addition of a fantastic new coach, it was the US time to win. Security nodded at me as I strode into the room confidently. I took my seat and waited for the men to file in. I listened in to other writers discussing the men.

"Have you seen Emmett McCarty? That man fills the goal. He can fill my goal anytime." She winked mischievously at the reporter next to her and they giggled like drunken college girls.

I took that moment to glance at her badge. Gossip magazine, I should have known. They aren't here for the athletic prowess. They're here to ask if he's still with his girlfriend and how big his feet are. I snorted loudly and turned my head to my questions.

"What's your problem?" The fangirl sneered.

"Oh nothing. I just heard that Emmett McCarty's girlfriend, you know that actress Rosalie Hale, loves smacking down the sluts that stalk him," I told her in a serious tone.

Truth be told, I had no idea if Rosalie Hale would do that but it sounded good. And the groupies quieted down. I considered it a win. A hush fell over the room ever so briefly when the doors opened and the team filed in. I prepared myself for the onslaught of noise.

"Emmett, Emmett is it true you are engaged to Rosalie Hale?"

"Edward, what do you think your teams chances are in South Africa?"

Carlisle, what do you think about the comments made by the English coach that your team hasn't got a chance?"

The moderator stood up and motioned for calm. He indicated that questions would be handled in an orderly manner. We all raised our hands waiting to be called. The ESPN camera man nodded at me from the sides indicating he was in place. Jacob was a good friend of mine since joining the ranks at ESPN. He was always with me.

The gossip whores next to me shook their hands frantically attempting to get attention. The longer it took the lower their neckline went. When it bordered on obscenity they were called on.

"I'm Tanya from Gossip Magazine. So, Edward. Do you have a girlfriend yet? How could you possibly be single?" She leered.

I watched as a look of annoyance flashed across his face briefly. He composed himself and smiled at her, the patented Edward crooked smile. I imagine it got him whatever he wanted.

"I'm very focused on the weeks before us and the chance to bring home the World Cup. I haven't met that special someone yet. But when I do, I want to be focused on her completely and I can't, in good faith, do that when I have to play," he said.

The girlie-committee around me sighed lustfully at him. He squirmed uncomfortably under their gaze and motioned for a new question. The moderator called on me and I stood up.

"Hi, Bella Swan from ESPN," I watched as Emmett's eyebrows rose, "Carlisle, how do you feel about the chances of your team this year? Historically speaking, the United States has never made it any further than the quarterfinals."

"Well, I think we have two things on our side here. We have an excellent mix of veterans and new players. In our practices they've worked together well and there's a great fluidity to what they do. I think we stand a great chance to go further than any US team has before," he said with conviction.

"Great, thanks." I jotted down notes and waited to see if I could ask another.

"Did you have any other questions?" I glanced up at the tables to see Edward looking at me.

"Um, yes Edward I do. Given your history, do you think you can get through this Cup _without _a red card?" Edward looked surprised at my frankness.

Edward Masen was an enigma. Socially he was the consummate gentlemen, never tied to any scandal. On the field his temper flared as often as he scored goals. He played with such passion that it was often mistaken for aggression and he found himself sidelined. I knew it was one of Coach Carlisle Cullen's biggest challenges.

Edward had been booted from a qualifying game for getting into a heated debate with the ref. He'd been called offsides on an amazing breakaway that surely would have led to a goal. Our coverage on ESPN showed that he was clearly onsides and he knew it too. His choice of words for the ref apparently earned him a seat on the bench for the rest of that game and the next one.

"I believe that Edward will do what he does best; put the ball in the back of the net. I believe that his passion for the game gets the best of him at times. It gets us all. Everyone wants to hoist that trophy above their head. I just want us to get there playing a good clean game." Carlisle answered for him.

With that I was excused from asking anymore questions. The junket continued around me and I stared up at the bench. Occasionally, Jasper Whitlock would lean over and say something to Edward or Emmett and the three of them would eye me warily.

Jasper was a strong mid-fielder who often assisted the striker Edward in his goals. The two of them with Emmett had come into the US National team in 2008 and had changed the game for the United States forever after that.

People began watching Major League Soccer and the sport was on the edge of becoming mainstream here. A victory at the World Cup would most assuredly seal that. The team filed out and I wandered over to Jacob, who was packing up his equipment.

"Nice questions Bells. Did you see Masen's face? Priceless. I can't wait to go to South Africa." He grinned.

"It's not like I can ask him if he prefers boxers or briefs. It would make me like those skanks. No thanks. I gotta run and prepare my piece for Sportscenter. Flight tomorrow, 5am see you there." I gave a wave and hurried back to the studio.

xVx

After shooting my bit for broadcast until I reached South Africa, I rushed home to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything. I double checked my list and found everything in order. I sunk into my couch to relax and called my dad to tell him I was leaving in the morning.

He wished me luck and said they'd be watching. As if I'd had a doubt about that; as an avid sports fan, my father Charlie was overflowing with pride that his daughter worked for ESPN. He taped as many of my segments as he could and showed them to all his friends.

He wasn't so much into soccer as he didn't consider it to be a man's sport like American football, but I hoped to change his opinion someday. We hung up and I quickly showered and changed into some boxers and worn t-shirt.

I climbed into bed and fell asleep quickly, despite the excitement. The next day I was headed to South Africa to cover something I'd been waiting for.

**End Note:** *looks around* Is it worth continuing? Do you think they'll go all the way? Or, like most US efforts at this great game, will they get stopped early? Next, we're headed to South Africa.

I will use aspects of the real games in this story. Some of the things that happened are just too great (or horrible) not to! Will Edward score a goal that isn't allowed? Will Emmett totally pretend like that didn't go in? Will Jasper pretend to get hit so hard an innocent player is ejected? Oh the drama. Don't forget your Vuvuzela.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks for the encouragement! It means a lot. I hope to finish this story somewhat quickly, I'm thinking it will be about 8-9 chapters. I hope you like it!

CH 2 – In to Africa

The alarm buzzed at me incessantly. I slapped it off and sluggishly got out of bed. No matter how excited I was to go to the Cup, getting up at 3:00am was no picnic. I padded into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. (Bless coffee makers with timers.) I sipped it carefully as I watched the 24 hour news channel. Clips of the press conference from the previous day were being shown.

Since we were in the entertainment section of the show and not sports I figured it would all be geared towards their personal lives and not the games. Sure enough photos of Emmett and Rosalie were splashed across the screen. These were followed by shots of Jasper and his wife of two years, Alice Brandon, who was a successful fashion designer. Even I owned a couple pieces from her Clairvoyant collection. It was sassy and chic.

They discussed Carlisle and his wife Esme and how well the looked together. Shots of other members of the team popped up, but they saved the best for last. Listening to the insipid anchors made me want to heave.

_And Edward Masen, the star player is definitely at the top of all eligible bachelor lists. _

_Ha ha, right you are Mary. In fact, am I the only one who wants to start a petition for him as the next star of his own dating show? _

_Definitely not Susan. I'll be the first one in line. Ha ha ha._

Where was the discussion Emmett's agility despite his size? That man could be anywhere in the goal at any time. What about James Kline's ability as defender to clear a ball from any angle or Jasper's ability to seemingly calm anyone down just by placing a hand on the shoulder and a word and then shred up the offense?

I hated this entertainment reporting. It took away all the merit and hard work these men put in and made them symbols for something else.

_Sex._

I glanced at the screen again. Shots of a vacationing Edward on the beach in green board shorts filled it.

_I wonder if they match his eyes?_

I internally slapped myself for objectifying him and remembered that he was a serious athlete and deserved more than girls with wagging tongues following him. More than that, I was a professional woman. My career meant everything to me. This was my chance to prove something. I turned off the tv and decided it was time to get ready and get out of here.

South Africa, here I come. I couldn't stop smiling.

xVx

Jacob met me at the airline desk with a cup of coffee in hand. He smiled sleepily and chugged whatever was left.

"Too early," he groaned.

"I know Jake. We can sleep on the plane. It's going to be a long flight." I reassured him.

He gave me a lopsided grin and took my suitcase from me and hefted it onto the counter. We both had to check our bags. Packing for a month means a large suitcase. I wheeled my small carry on behind me as we headed to security. Once we were scanned and shoes were back on we headed to our gate.

Since the flight was so early, the airport was largely empty. We sat down near the windows and watched as people readied the planes. Jake's phone beeped and he grinned. He dashed off to take his call. It was probably his lady love, Jess. They'd been dating for a couple years now. I knew she wasn't fond of me.

I heard her in a ladies room one night when we were all out after the NBA finals complaining that her boyfriend would get paired with one of the female reporters. And of course I was too plain to catch his attention, according to her. But it didn't stop her from being paranoid. She was always nice to me to my face though. In my opinion, the drama of telling her that I didn't want her boyfriend just wasn't worth it.

I felt my shoulder shake as Jake nudged me. "Bells it's time to board come on."

I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep. He grabbed my carry-on and dragged it to the door. We presented our tickets and boarded. The nice thing about working for a network like ESPN is first class. The wide leather seats were amazingly comfortable. Jake put our carry-on's in the storage above and sat down.

I'd agreed to give him the window seat; I hated feeling boxed in by the window and the passenger next to me. It suited me just fine to people watch from the aisle.

I watched as more passengers filed on when I heard a ruckus. Flight attendants were smiling excitedly and running to the front. They rushed the coach class on and closed the curtain that separated us from them. I noticed that first class was decidedly empty.

The flight attendants were checking their hair and smoothing their uniforms down. They plastered what they probably hoped to be seductive smiles on their faces and ushered a large group of men on.

I was quite surprised to see the men's team boarding this very flight. The games didn't start for a week but I supposed they needed to acclimate their bodies to a new time zone and get ready.

I felt heat rush to my cheeks when Edward stepped on board. He looked comfortable in his warm up suit and sandals. Inwardly I cursed myself for wearing yoga pants and a tank top, but realistically we were going to be on here for twenty hours or so and comfort was key.

Then I scolded myself for wanting to appear appealing to Edward. _Strong, independent, don't need a man to complete me._ I repeated this mantra to myself as I watched while they all chose seats. Suddenly I felt self-conscious that Jake and I were the only non-team members in first class.

I wondered if this had been planned. I couldn't call my boss since we were supposed to stow our electronics. I'd definitely call when I could. This could not be a coincidence.

"Awesome! They are on this flight?" Jake put his hand up for a high five.

I slapped it weakly and offered a faint smile. "Guess so.

"We can really get the scoop here. Did you know about this? Bob had to have planned this," Jake whispered excitedly.

"He must have known and some how got us on the same flight. I wondered why we needed to go a week early. He must want something." I frowned.

I stared brazenly over at the men. I did have so many questions, about how they started, what they loved about the game, what their hopes were, among other things. But all I could do was stare, until Jake snapped me out of it.

"Stop staring Bella. You look nuts," he hissed.

His low voice got the attention of a couple of the guys. They began nudging each other until they were all focused on us. My blush returned instantly and I quickly looked down.

"Looks like we got a shy one gentlemen," Emmett declared loudly.

The flight attendants giggled appreciatively and praised his wit. I kept my eyes trained on the floor.

"Whatsamatter Miss Swan? No questions now? You seemed ready to pounce before." Emmett strolled over and leaned above me.

I rolled my eyes and looked up. "Sorry, I was looking for chap stick. It seemed like some people might need it. It's a lot of work to keep lips stuck to asses for twenty hours."

I saw Jake's mouth drop open for a moment before he burst into laughter. A few of the other guys joined him. Emmett ruffled my hair as though I were a cute puppy and walked away.

"I like you," he laughed.

I saw a wry smile work across Edward's face as he took a seat near the front. I closed my eyes and leaned back. This flight was going to be long.

xVx

Shortly after take off the seat belt light went off and the cabin quieted. People drifted off to sleep. Jake snored beside me; he'd fallen asleep almost instantly. I scanned the cabin and caught Carlisle's eye. He motioned for me to come over.

I stood confidently and walked over. He patted the empty seat beside him, I paused but sat down.

"Hello Mr. Cullen. So nice to see you." I smiled graciously.

"You as well Miss Swan, but please call me Carlisle." He smiled.

"Of course, only if you call me Bella." I smiled back.

He nodded and drew in a breath. Ah, the pleasantries are over.

"I'm pleased to see you and your camera man made the flight. I hope we can take this time to get to know one another," he said quietly.

My face must have betrayed my surprise. He wanted us here?

"You see, I believe this is our year. We have a strong team and I think we could go far, if not all the way. We want to use that momentum to really get the MLS onto the American public's radar.

"I called your boss and asked you to sort of be our…conduit to the American people. He said that people respond well to you. You are highly rated and knowledgeable. Plus, since you are a woman, we hope you can get an 'in' so to speak with the female demographic." His tone was serious.

"You hardly need me an 'in' with the women. You have all you need right there." I pointed to his men.

He gave me a look that indicated he didn't understand what I meant. I sighed knowing what I was going to say could possibly embarrass me.

"Those men are young, full of vitality and handsome. Some of them are even single, if you watch the entertainment headlines," I said scornfully, "you'll notice they are quite desired."

"Interesting, I'll have to look." He pondered it.

"No need, just watch the flight attendants, they are practically panting for these guys," I whispered.

Carlisle nodded with interest and spent time observing the interactions.

"I think you'll find your golden boy," I nodded toward Edward, "is the most popular."

"You've given me a lot to think about. When you can check your messages I think you'll find an email from your boss requesting you to prepare a couple blogs about our team's trip. Perhaps we'll start with 'the golden boy'." He smiled and leaned back to rest.

"Of course, once wakes up I'll do that, if that's agreeable to him." I nodded and moved back to my seat.

I sat down and pulled out a notebook. I thought a quick profile of this player would make a fine piece.

_He's such a fine piece…._

I sighed, when did I become Edward Masen smitten? I straightened up and made some notes. I knew the basics, where he went to college, how he got recruited, but I wanted to know what made him love the sport.

I didn't want to know anything about his underwear preference.

I think…

xVx

A couple of hours later I was woken up by a light tapping on the shoulder. I groaned and smacked Jacob on the shoulder.

"Jake, stop it. I'm trying to sleep," I whined.

I heard his distinct snore and my eyes flew open. I was met with an apologetic look from Edward. He looked slightly embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"Sorry, I just wanted to let you know I was up and ready for you," he whispered.

I blushed at his words, _what did he say?_

"What? Huh?" I stammered.

"For the interview, for your blog piece. I'm awake and ready for your questions." He smirked at my flustered response.

"Oh…ok. Give me a little bit and I'll come over there." I smiled and looked away quickly.

I watched his feet turn and walk away._ Ugh…seriously Bella. Get it together._

I dug in my bag for my notepad and pencil. I glanced over at Edward, who was currently being waited on by three flight attendants. I hoped that coach was getting enough attention.

I walked over to him and they scattered. He gave me a look that almost appeared grateful. The flight attendants looks were not as happy. They muttered under their breath to each other and went back to their stations.

"So, enjoying your personal service? They seem to have forgotten there's a whole other section in the back of the plane," I said haughtily.

He raised an eyebrow at me and frowned. "I don't ask them to wait on me hand and foot and I'd actually prefer if they'd give me privacy."

I scribbled on my notepad – _private_. This might actually be harder than it looks. How was I going to get the dirt from a guy that didn't want to talk about it?

"I spoke with Carlisle before and he indicated he'd like me to be the medium in which we bring the US team to American viewers. You see, I love this game. And apparently I'm popular with ESPN's viewers so it seems like a great opportunity to teach American's about something they are missing out on," I told him.

He nodded appreciatively and said, "So you are going to do a piece on me?"

"Yup," I said, popping the P, "in case you didn't notice by the little display in here, you are hot right now."

"Excuse me?" His eyes widened.

"Oh come on, you haven't noticed? You are all over magazines, on TV, probably on the walls of teenage girls' rooms everywhere. You are the new Beckham. Hot, young and well…single, unlike him. You might just be a marketers dream," I said matter-of-factly.

"I'm…hot? You think so, huh?" He smirked.

"Well, that's what the tabloids say. But I work for ESPN not Chatter magazine. So while we need to appeal to the female demo, we also need you to show men why they need to start watching soccer," I said, avoiding his comment.

"Ok, so where do we begin?" He asked.

An hour later I was laughing with Emmett as he told me about a time in college when Edward was practicing penalty kicks and missed the ball completely. He'd kicked so hard he landed on his ass.

I fought back tears as I leaned on Emmett's shoulder. "No more, I can't take anymore. Stop making me laugh."

"Yes, please," Edward grumbled.

"This is perfect. It shows that you aren't perfect and worked hard to get here." I scribbled on my notepad.

"You aren't using that in your story!" He groaned.

"Of course I am. But don't worry; I'll let you tell me Emmett stories when I profile him." I grinned.

It was Emmett's turn to grumble; he frowned at me and walked back to his seat.

"Thanks a lot, Edward. I'll send Carlisle a copy of the story before it runs." I nodded at him and began to stand up.

The seat belt sign lit up and the pilot said we were hitting slight turbulence. The turbulence didn't seem so slight when we hit a rocky patch, causing me to lose my balance. As I lurched toward the ground, Edward's strong arm stopped me and pulled me into his lap.

I sat for a bumpy moment in his lap, humiliated that I'd nearly fallen in front of the whole team. And now I sat in Edward's lap, despite the fact we'd stopped bumping around. I received curious looks from the men around me.

I jumped up and mumbled thanks to him. I dashed to my seat and slunk down low. Jake looked at me with laughing eyes.

"Don't say a word. I fell, he caught me," I snapped.

Jacob pretended to lock his lips closed, but continued to smirk at me. The seat belt light went off again and he got up to use the rest room.

When he returned he leaned over to me and whispered, "Those flight attendants HATE you. You should hear what they are saying."

"Like I care what a bunch of hussies who throw themselves at these guys think," I hissed.

"That's funny considering you were the one in his lap," he said.

"Oh for god's sake, I FELL," I said louder than I meant to.

"Sure you did honey. Sure you did," one of the flight attendants said as he walked by.

"I'm going to sleep." With that I shut my eyes and hoped the next time I opened them we'd be in South Africa.

xVx

Thankfully, I did wake up about an hour before we landed. Carlisle was speaking in hushed tones to his team. They were all huddled around him. They all looked so serious and intent on what he was saying. It must have been a speech to pump them up.

Not that they needed it, they seemed pretty pumped as it was. Jake pulled out a small camera and took a few shots of them. It was one of the moments only we'd get to see. I felt like were intruding, but Carlisle had wanted us there so I didn't stop Jake.

An hour and a half later we were getting off the plane in South Africa. I couldn't believe I was actually here. It was incredible. Though it was winter in the southern hemisphere, it wasn't too cold during the day. I'd read it could get chilly at night though.

We got our luggage and looked to get a ride to our hotel. Once we were settled in a car I started going through my messages. An email from Bob confirmed what Carlisle had said. Jake and I would be covering the games, but also bringing a personal aspect of the players to our viewers.

Our schedule was split between going to matches and following the US men around. It was going to be grueling and a huge challenge to undertake. But Jake and I were up to it. It was one of those career defining events. We had to do the best we could and then some.

I checked my schedule for the following day – press with South African representatives, watching the US men practice and prepare a segment for Sportscenter about the trip here.

It was going to be a long five weeks and I couldn't wait for it.

**End Note: **Well, Bella and the team are in Africa. One week of pre-game fun and excitement! My plan is to stay as true to what actually happened at the Cup as possible, with some alterations to what teams make it and what don't. Are the men going to go all the way? The only way to find out is to keep reading.


End file.
